Author: Elizabeth Jenrola Oso

The European Union has imposed a €2.95 billion (£2.52 billion) fine on Google for breaching competition rules by favouring its own digital advertising services, marking the fourth antitrust penalty levied against the technology giant by the bloc. The European Commission, the EU’s executive arm and chief antitrust authority, also ordered the US-based company to end what it described as “self-preferencing practices” and to address “conflicts of interest” within the advertising technology supply chain. Following a formal investigation launched in June 2021, the Commission concluded that Google had abused its dominant position in the online advertising market, disadvantaging rival publishers, advertisers…

The Bristol facility of Elbit Systems UK, a subsidiary of Israel’s largest arms manufacturer, appears to have ceased operations unexpectedly, following years of direct action protests led by the activist group Palestine Action. The site, located in the Aztec West business park near the junction of the M4 and M5 motorways, was found deserted this week, with no staff present aside from a lone security guard. Elbit Systems UK declined to comment on the status of the site. The closure marks a significant development in the ongoing campaign against Elbit’s UK operations. Since 2019, when Elbit took on the lease,…

President Donald Trump has signed an executive order authorising the Department of Defense to adopt the title “Department of War” as a secondary designation, reviving a name last used officially in 1947. The move, announced on Friday, is intended to symbolise a shift in military posture and does not constitute a formal renaming, which would require congressional approval. The Department of War was originally established in 1789 and oversaw the United States Army until post-Second World War reforms led to its reorganisation under the National Security Act of 1947. That legislation consolidated the military services into the Department of Defense,…

Hundreds of workers have been detained in a large-scale immigration raid at a car battery factory under construction in Georgia, United States, intended to supply Hyundai and Kia electric vehicles. The operation, led by US Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE), brought work on the site to a halt. The facility, a joint venture between South Korean battery manufacturer LG Energy Solution (LGES) and Hyundai Motor, forms part of what has been described as the largest industrial investment in Georgia’s history. State governor Brian Kemp had previously hailed the project as a major economic boost. The Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms…

A couple from Redstone Township, Pennsylvania, have been arrested after authorities discovered five children living in what officials described as “deplorable” and “dungeon-like” conditions. James Russell Kahl, 65, and Carly Kahl, 41, face multiple charges, including endangering the welfare of a child, aggravated assault, and reckless endangerment. The arrests followed a police investigation into reports that the couple’s children, aged between five and 14, were being kept in severe neglect. Authorities were called to the property, located around 46 miles south of Pittsburgh, last month after receiving information from a relative concerned about the children’s welfare. Upon arrival, investigators found…

Russian President Vladimir Putin has deployed 100,000 troops to the frontlines in eastern Ukraine, raising concerns of a renewed large-scale assault. According to Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy, Moscow has moved the forces to the outskirts of Pokrovsk, a key transport hub in the Donetsk region that Russian forces have been attempting to seize for the past 18 months. Western officials fear the build-up may signal an end-of-year push to capture the remaining Ukrainian strongholds in the area, fulfilling Putin’s stated ambition of taking the entire Donbas region. The matter was a focal point at last week’s European security council meeting,…

A shooting in Brooklyn on Thursday afternoon has left one man dead and his twin brother injured, while the suspect remains at large, police have confirmed. The incident occurred at approximately 2.40pm in the East New York neighbourhood, at the junction of Sutter and Euclid Avenues. Officers were dispatched to the scene following reports of an assault. Upon arrival, they discovered two men, both aged 20, suffering from gunshot wounds. One of the victims was identified as Darius Coles, of Brooklyn. According to the Office of the Medical Examiner, Mr Coles had sustained a gunshot wound to the chest. He…

Former United States President Joe Biden has undergone surgery to remove skin cancer lesions from his forehead, his office confirmed on Thursday, marking the latest in a series of health challenges for the 82-year-old. The procedure was disclosed by his spokesperson, Kelly Scully, after Inside Edition published footage showing Biden leaving a church service in Delaware with a visible scar on his forehead. Ms Scully said the former president had received Mohs surgery, a precise medical technique in which thin layers of skin are removed and examined until no cancerous cells remain. The operation is understood to have been carried…

Russian President Vladimir Putin has issued a stark warning regarding the presence of Western troops in Ukraine, declaring they would be considered “legitimate targets for destruction” should they enter the conflict zone. Speaking at an economic forum in Vladivostok, Putin stated, “If some troops appear there, especially now during the fighting, we proceed from the premise that they will be legitimate targets.” His remarks come amid ongoing speculation about increased Western involvement in the war. The Kremlin has consistently opposed the deployment of foreign forces in Ukraine, arguing that such a move would be unacceptable and pose a direct threat…

Twenty-six nations have pledged to provide postwar security guarantees to Ukraine, including an international force operating on land, at sea and in the air, French President Emmanuel Macron announced following a summit in Paris. Speaking alongside Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy at the Élysée Palace, Macron said the guarantees would be deployed “the day the conflict stops” to prevent any renewed major aggression. He stressed that the troops would not be stationed on the frontline. Macron initially stated that all 26 countries would deploy forces to Ukraine, but later clarified that some would contribute without entering Ukrainian territory, for example by…